Hinged flexible strip closure

ABSTRACT

A hinged flexible strip closure having complementary fastener strips and wall webs connected thereto, with the strips and webs meeting along a common parting plane, and interlock hook structure extending across the plane from one of the strips into a complementary interlock recess in the other strip, a closing and separating slider being engageable with the strips and having retainer flanges engaging with shoulders adjacent to the webs, there being hinge grooves in said strips along juncture of the webs with the strips but avoiding thinning of the webs and the retainer flanges having inner edges which are so spaced from the web as to avoid interference with efficient hinging of the webs at the grooves.

l it tates Ausnit [451 Jan. 18,1972

[54] HINGED FLEXIBLE STRIP CLOS [21] Appl. No.: 24,645

943,668 12/1963 Great Britain ..24/20l C Primary Examiner-Bemard A. Gelak Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson [57] ABSTRACT A hinged flexible strip closure having complementary fastener strips and wall webs connected thereto, with the strips and webs meeting along a common parting plane, and interlock hook structure extending across the plane from one of the strips into a complementary interlock recess in the other strip, a closing and separating slider being engageable with the strips and having retainer flanges engaging with shoulders adjacent to the webs, there being hinge grooves in said strips along juncture of the webs with the strips but avoiding thinning of the webs and the retainer flanges having inner edges which are so spaced from the web as to avoid interference with efficient hinging of the webs at the grooves.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures HINGIED FLEXIBLE STRIP CLOSURE This invention relates to hinged flexible strip closures placed at the top of a container such as a bag and is more particularly concerned with closures of this type which are adapted to be closed and reopened by means of a slider.

Various arrangements of bag closures have heretofore been suggested in which flexible strip fasteners of the plastic zipper type are used, but those placed at the top of a container have had various deficiencies and disadvantages such as being unreliable due to the pulling apart of the fastener by separating tension on the bag wall webs, complexities in construction of the fastening elements, etc. To avoid separating leverage during hinging movements of the webs relative to the fasteners, it has been heretofore suggested that the webs should be constructed thinner adjacent to the fastener to permit free hinging movement of the webs, but that causes a weakening which rapidly deteriorates in the use of the closure-equipped object and is liable to tear when unusual tension is applied and is thus undesirable.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other disadvantages, shortcomings, and inefficiencies are overcome by providing a new and improved hinged flexible strip closure which is simple and efficient in operation, and durable in service.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel flexible strip and attached web construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hinging arrangement for flexible strip closures, that are attached to the top of a container.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved interlocking means for flexible strip closures of the types indicated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved combination of flexible strip closure and slider structure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for retaining a slider on a strip closure.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts embodied in the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional detail view showing one form of hinged flexible strip closure embodying features of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a similar sectional detail view showing a modification.

On reference to FlG. l, complementary fastener strips 5 and 7 have respectively integral therewith webs 8 and 9 which may provide part or all of the sidewalls of a container such as a bag, or the like. Suitable synthetic plastic material such as vinyl or polyethylene, which is economically manufactured by extrusion process, is desirably employed in the fastener strip and web units. Construction and arrangement of the fastener strips 5 and 7 and the webs 8 and 9 is such as to facilitate closing and reopening of the closure by means of a slider 10.

For stability and to facilitate action of a separating finger ll of the slider 10, the fastener strips 5 and 7 are provided with generally symmetrical outside bodies which in the assembly meet along a common central parting plane 12 between the confronting faces of the strips, and the finger 11 is movable in this plane. For securing the fastener strips 5 and 7 separably but securely, one of the fastening strips, herein the strip 5, is provided with interlock structure comprising an interlock hook head 13 integrally connected to the strip 5 by a flange l4 and received in a complementary interlock recess 15. To improve the securement, the head 13 has a symmetrical pair of opposite hook points 17 of generally arrowhead barb arrangement, and the sides of the head are preferably of multiangular straight plane formation as shown providing a plurality of ridges 18 where the head surfaces join and which cooperate with the complementary surfaces and reentrant angles in the recess to resist turning of the head 13 in the recess about an axis longitudinally along the head. Such resistance to turning is also enhanced by the large and thus relatively flex-resistant masses of the body of the strip 7 at each side of the interlock hook head. Nevertheless, the head and the portions of the strip 7 at each side of the connecting flange 14 are adequately resiliently flexible to enable pressing of the fastener strips into interlocking relation by use of the slider 10 and separation when desired by use of the finger 111 of the slider.

Slider stability on the fastener strip is enhanced by having the strips 5 and 7 not only of substantial mass with substantial retaining shoulders but also of substantially the same outer configuration and with the webs 8 and 9 extending therefrom in confronting relation with their confronting faces along the parting plane 12, so that nearly the entire area of the strip shoulders beyond the hinges, as described hereafter, can be used for retention of the slider on the strip. in addition, the fastener strips 5 and 7 are dimensioned to project from the outer faces of the webs 8 and 9 to a multiple of the web thickness, in this instance a minimum of about three times the web thickness so that actually the fastener strips are at least about four times as thick as the webs. This provides a substantial outer end area about which the slider 10 is engaged, and affords two relatively wide respective inner end shoulders 19 and 19' on the fastener strips engaged by respective wide retainer flanges 20 and 20 on the slider extending inwardly from its opposite sides toward, but spaced from, the webs 8 and 9.

in order to enable hinged spreading of the webs 8 and 9 as shown in dash outline in HO. 1, without separating the interlock structure, even though considerable tension may be applied to the webs or either of them during or after a hinging movement thereof or a hinging displacement as where a bag of which the webs 8 and 9 form at least part of the wall structure is crammed with contents, hinge relief means are provided on the strips 5 and 7 and without thinning or otherwise weakening the webs or their connections with the body portions of the strips. To this end, a hinge-bending relief notch or groove 21 is desirably provided in the body of the strip 7 running alongside juncture of the web 9 with such strip and with the groove opening from the shoulder 19 in the direction which the web 9 normally extends. As will be observed, in order for the groove 21 to function as intended it is essential that it is placed between the common parting plane 12 and a plane P along the inner side of the recess 15 and parallel to the parting plane 12, so that substantially most of the recess 15 is outwardly from the plane P. In addition, the groove 21 has to be of sufficient depth to enable hinge bending of the web 9 all the way over onto the shoulder 19 without levering the portion of the strip 7 with which the adjacent interlock hook 17 is engaged. Such levering is also resisted by the adjacent engagement of a rib 22 of the strip 7 into a complementary recess 23 of the strip 5. In addition, the recess 23 provides a hinge-bending relief groove in the body of the strip 5 for the web 8, as shown in dash outline in FIG, 1, J uncture of the web 8 with the body 5 is angular but without thinning or reinforcing or otherwise interfering with its effective and durable integral connection with the body of the strip 5. Whether either or both of the webs 8 and 9 are hingedly bent away from one another, leverage tending to separate the interlock structure is efficiently relieved by the respective grooves 21 and 23.

Where the anticipated stresses that may be applied in and during hinged displacement of the webs 8 and 9, or at least the web 8, are moderate, or at least less than those for which the arrangement of FIG. 1 will withstand, the somewhat simpler arrangement of H0. 2 may be employed. In this form of the invention, the fairly massive nb 22 and corresponding notch groove 23 and the angular joining of the web 8 to the body of the strip 5 are eliminated such that the only deviation from the longitudinally central confrontation of the strips 5 and 7 and the webs 8 and 9 from the parting plane 12 is the interlock hook head 13. In this form, to relieve hinging leverage that might otherwise be exerted by the web 8, a relief notch groove 21 is provided along the juncture of the web 8 with the body of the strip 5 and opening from the contiguous shoulder 19, substantially duplicating the relief notch groove 21 in the strip 7 along the juncture therewith of the web 9. Thereby, the strips 5 and 7 are equally protected against fastener-separating leverage forces that may be generated by the webs 8 and 9, and hinged flexing of the webs is facilitated.

In either form of the invention, it will be observed that the massive structure of the generally rectangular transversely cross-sectional bodies of the strips 5 and 7, especially in the outer end portions thereof, and the symmetrical abutment relationship on the median parting plane 12 assures maximum resistance to any relative flexing displacement or leverage displacement of one of the strips by unusual stress forces that may be generated in the other of the strips by or through its web. For example, should there be a leverage force which tends to rock or turn the strip 5 about a longitudinal axis to thrust its outer end portion toward the outer end portion of the strip 7, not only is such thrust resisted by the mere mass of the outer end portion of the body of the strip 7, but strong resistance to the turning is provided by the interlock hook head 13 through its connecting flange 14 by reason of the hooked interlock of the head with the innermost mass portion of the strip 7, and the additional resistance to turning of the head in the recess 15 afforded by the several angular ridges 18 and complementary contours within the recess. In the form of FIG. 1, of course, there is additional resistance provided by the generally rectangular rib 22 and its mass in both directions of passible stress, namely, from the strip 5 toward the strip 7 or from the strip 7 toward the strip 5, as the case may be.

In either fonn of the invention imposition of any such leverage forces as may be exerted by or through the web 9 on its fastener strip 7, are thoroughly resisted not only by the bulk of the body of the strip 5 toward which the strip 7 may thrust in any tendency to turn, but also by the efficiently doubly hooked interlock of the head 13, and its resistance to turning in the recess 15. Further resistance is afforded by the interlock hook 17 nearest the juncture of the web 9 tending to pull the mass of the body of the strip 5 through the connecting flange 14 toward the strip 7 whereby separation of the fastener strips along and relative to the parting plane 12 is thoroughly resisted.

Also, in either form of the invention, it will be observed that the retainer flanges 20, 20 have their inner edges so spaced from the webs as to avoid interference with efficient hinging of the webs at the grooves 21, 23 (FIG. 1) or 21, 21' (FIG. 2). More particularly, it will be observed in FIG. 1, that the edge of the flange 20 engaging the shoulder 19 remains outwardly relative to the plane P to leave the groove 21 free for hinging action of the web 9. Also, the flange 20' has its edge located outwardly relative to the groove 23 (FIG. 1) or the groove 21 (FIG. 2).

It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts ofthis invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a flexible strip closure having complementary separable interlocking fastener stripsjoined to respective webs:

said strips and said webs having respective confronting parting faces meeting in a common parting plane;

a slider dimensioned to engage about the assembled strips and having a separating finger movable longitudinally along and between said strips;

each of said strips comprising a mass of material a number of times as thick as the associated web and projecting away from the parting face in a direction opposite to the parting face and providing a shoulder adjacent to the associated web angular to said parting face;

one of said strips having an interlock hook structure extending across the parting plane;

the other of said strips having a complementary interlock recess in which said hook structure is interlockingly received;

respective hinge grooves in said strips avoiding thinning of said webs and located at the juncture of the respective webs with the strips and with the hinge groove of said other strip being located between said common parting plane and a plane parallel to said parting plane along an inner side of said recess so that substantially most of said recess is outwardly from said parallel plane thereby to enable hinging movements of the webs relative to one another and to said strips without separation of said hook structure from said recess; and

respective inwardly extending retainer flanges on the opposite sides of the slider engaging said shoulders, with the edge of the flange which engages the shoulder of said other strip remaining outwardly relative to said parallel plane to leave said other strip hinge groove free for hinging action ofthe adjacent web.

2. A closure according to claim 1, in which said interlock structure comprises a single head having barblike generally oppositely extending hooks, and a plurality of ridges on said head fitting in complementary contours provided in said recess to assist in preventing turning of said head in the recess.

3. A closure according to claim 1, in which said strips have massive outer end body portions which abut at said parting plane and mutually resist leverage thrusting of either of said strips against the other.

4. A closure according to claim 1, including a reinforcing rib projecting from the recessed strip across said parting plane and into a complementary groove recess in the strip from which said hook structure projects, said rib being aligned with a hook ofsaid head.

5. A structure according to claim 4, in which said strip from which the interlock hook projects has the web connected thereto joining it on an angular juncture which forms said groove recess for said rib and provides the hinging relief groove for such web.

6. A closure according to claim 1, wherein both of said relief grooves are located in said respective shoulders.

7. In a flexible strip closure and slider combination:

said closure comprising a pair of complementary fastener strips from each of which extends a hinged web with the respective strips and webs meeting along a common parting plane;

at least one of said strips having an interlock hook structure extending across said plane and the other of said strips having a complementary interlock recess in which the hook structure is received to lock the strips together;

each of said strips having a body and each of said bodies projecting away from the common parting plane a distance sufficient to create on each said body a substantial shoulder facing in the direction in which said webs project;

said slider straddling said closure strips and designed to either force together or separate said strips and having retainer flanges of substantial width respectively engaging the shoulders of said strip bodies;

at least one of said strip bodies having a hinging relief groove along the juncture of its web therewith; and

the retainer flange which engages the shoulder of said one body having its inner edge spaced from the adjacent web in clearance relation to said groove to enable efficient free hinging action of such web.

8. A combination according to claim 7, both of said bodies having hinging relief grooves along the junctures of their webs, at least one of the grooves being recessed into its body shoulder, and the edges of both of the retainer flanges being spaced from the respective adjacent web in clearance relation to the respective grooves so as to provide for free hinging action of the respective webs.

9. A combination according to claim 8, in which each of said grooves is recessed in the shoulder of the respective body and the retainer flange edges are spaced outwardly from the web at least as far as the width of the groove.

10. A combination according to claim 8, wherein the shoulder of the body of the other of said strips has the groove recessed therein and the body of said one strip has the groove located spaced from the shoulder and opening toward said parting plane, such that the web juncture with this body is of 5 angular configuration. 

1. In a flexible strip closure having complementary separable interlocking fastener strips joined to respective webs: said strips and said webs having respective confronting parting faces meeting in a common parting plane; a slider dimensioned to engage about the assembled strips and having a separating finger movable longitudinally along and between said strips; each of said strips comprising a mass of material a number of times as thick as the associated web and projecting away from the parting face in a direction opposite to the parting face and providing a shoulder adjacent to the associated web angular to said parting face; one of said strips having an interlock hook structure extending across the parting plane; the other of said strips having a complementary interlock recess in which said hook structure is interlockingly received; respective hinge grooves in said strips avoiding thinning of said webs and located at the juncture of the respective webs with the strips and with the hinge groove of said other strip being located between said common parting plane and a plane parallel to said parting plane along an inner side of said recess so that substantially most of said recess is outwardly from said parallel plane thereby to enable hinging movements of the webs relative to one another and to said strips without separation of said hook structure from said recess; and respective inwardly extending retainer flanges on the opposite sides of the slider engaging said shoulders, with the edge of the flange which engages the shoulder of said other strip remaining outwardly relative to said parallel plane to leave said other strip hinge groove free for hinging action of the adjacent web.
 2. A closure according to claim 1, in which said interlock structure comprises a single head having barblike generally oppositely extending hooks, and a plurality of ridges on said head fitting in complementary contours provided in said recess to assist in preventing turning of said head in the recess.
 3. A closure according to claim 1, in which said strips have massive outer end body portions which abut at said parting plane and mutually resist leverage thrusting of either of said strips against the other.
 4. A closure according to claim 1, including a reinforcing rib projecting from the recessed strip across said parting plane and into a complementary groove recess in the strip from which said hook structure projects, said rib being aligned with a hook of said head.
 5. A structure according to claim 4, in which said strip from which the interlock hook projects has the web connected thereto joining it on an angular juncture which forms said groove recess for said rib and provides the hinging relief groove for such web.
 6. A closure according to claim 1, wherein both of said relief grooves are located in said respective shoulders.
 7. In a flexible strip closure and slider combination: said closure comprising a pair of complementary fastener strips from each of which extends a hinged web witH the respective strips and webs meeting along a common parting plane; at least one of said strips having an interlock hook structure extending across said plane and the other of said strips having a complementary interlock recess in which the hook structure is received to lock the strips together; each of said strips having a body and each of said bodies projecting away from the common parting plane a distance sufficient to create on each said body a substantial shoulder facing in the direction in which said webs project; said slider straddling said closure strips and designed to either force together or separate said strips and having retainer flanges of substantial width respectively engaging the shoulders of said strip bodies; at least one of said strip bodies having a hinging relief groove along the juncture of its web therewith; and the retainer flange which engages the shoulder of said one body having its inner edge spaced from the adjacent web in clearance relation to said groove to enable efficient free hinging action of such web.
 8. A combination according to claim 7, both of said bodies having hinging relief grooves along the junctures of their webs, at least one of the grooves being recessed into its body shoulder, and the edges of both of the retainer flanges being spaced from the respective adjacent web in clearance relation to the respective grooves so as to provide for free hinging action of the respective webs.
 9. A combination according to claim 8, in which each of said grooves is recessed in the shoulder of the respective body and the retainer flange edges are spaced outwardly from the web at least as far as the width of the groove.
 10. A combination according to claim 8, wherein the shoulder of the body of the other of said strips has the groove recessed therein and the body of said one strip has the groove located spaced from the shoulder and opening toward said parting plane, such that the web juncture with this body is of angular configuration. 